Capitol assures year-end bonuses to employees

MANILA, Philippines —  Over 1,000 employees of the Cebu Provincial Government are set to receive up to ?55,000 in year-end bonuses, following the provincial government’s compliance with all requirements set by the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

Assistant Provincial Administrator Aldwin Empaces said the release of the bonuses was ensured after the Capitol successfully met the necessary prerequisites, including the submission of key documents, paving the way for the incentives to be granted to eligible employees.

Under the proposed allocation, regular and casual employees will receive a combined total of ?55,000, consisting of ?30,000 from the Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA), ?20,000 under the Service Recognition Incentive (SRI), and ?5,000 as Performance-Based Incentive (PBI).

Job order (JO) employees, meanwhile, are set to receive a total of ?15,000, which includes a ?7,000 gratuity pay and an additional incentive provided by the provincial government.

The funding for the bonuses will be sourced from a proposed supplemental budget, which is scheduled to be deliberated during the final session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on Monday, December 22, 2025.

Empaces said the Capitol worked diligently to ensure all documentary requirements were completed, despite the stringent process involved.

“I’m happy to say nga, in the spirit of Christmas, na-comply nato ang mga needed requirements like Provincial Appraisal Indicators ug ang submission sa CNA,” Empaces said in an interview.

He explained that once the CNA was submitted and accepted, casual and regular employees became eligible for the ?30,000 CNA incentive, on top of the ?20,000 SRI granted through an administrative order from the Office of the President, and the additional performance-based incentive.

The ?20,000 SRI forms part of the incentive granted by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to government employees for 2025, recognizing their hard work, loyalty, and contributions to national development goals.

Meanwhile, the PBI is part of the broader Performance-Based Incentive System designed to encourage higher performance and accountability in government service.

Empaces said the supplemental budget has already been submitted and will be discussed by the Provincial Board, after which the bonuses can be released.

While the release may extend beyond Christmas Day, Empaces said employees expressed understanding and willingness to wait, noting that what mattered most was that the incentives were secured. “Dili to sayon ang proseso kay kinahanglan jud masiguro nga kompleto ug sakto ang mga dokumento,” he said.

The CNA was submitted to the CSC during the first week of December and has since been received and discussed with the employees’ association, justifying the release of the incentives.(CEBU NEWS)

Empaces said the provincial government is hopeful that the Commission on Audit (COA) will find the submissions satisfactory, as these were the primary requirements requested.

He described the development as a “win-win” situation, crediting Governor Pamela Baricuatro for pushing to provide Capitol employees with what he described as a “just and proper” Christmas bonus.

Empaces also noted that many of the more than 1,000 affected employees were among those impacted by Typhoon Tino and the recent earthquake, with some sustaining damage to their homes.

He added that the number of regular employees has increased, particularly in provincial hospitals, following the regularization of many workers.

Beyond monetary incentives, Empaces said Capitol employees also shared meals in their respective offices as part of a simple Christmas observance, in line with the governor's call for modest celebrations.

Each office received a "lechon", which Empaces said was personally funded by the governor from her own 13th month pay. “Two days ago niingon siya nga ang iyahang sweldo, iya nalang ipalit og lechon kay wa man ta ni-procure,” Empaces said. (CEBU NEWS)